“I think you can never underestimate what a parent will buy in a moment of desperation if the right buttons are pushed,” she explains, referring to her own set of impulse buys gathering dust and cluttering corners of her home.
Anyone who is a parent knows exactly what she means. Babies don’t come with a set of instructions. Grandma doesn’t always live close by or is up to date on all of the latest safety gadgets and smart toys. Often, we newbie’s are grasping in the dark (literally, if you have a baby who won’t sleep through the night). Plus, we want to give our children everything they will need to succeed later in life. But as Paul aptly describes, today it can be tough to distinguish between necessities and frivolous extras.
The key she says is remembering to pause before you buy and to really examine why you are plunking down that credit card … or hiring that potty training coach.
“You have to think, ‘What is this about?’ We are so invested in the kids—and that is a good thing. But our hopes and desires often get translated into purchasing,” she says.
Reading Parenting, Inc. made me feel so much better about some of the decisions I’ve made since joining the club. I could let go of some of the guilt around purchases made and purchases skipped. I realized my angst is not so unique. Being a parent is a huge responsibility and it’s comforting to learn that so many of us are struggling with the same spending decisions. What’s liberating is the message that we really do know what is best for our kids. We just need to remember to tune out the marketing hype and tune into our instincts.
